Game Preview - Bloomsburg

The Golden Rams (3-1, 1-0) host the Bloomsburg Huskies (1-3, 0-1) on Saturday in a PSAC East matchup. Kickoff for homecoming is scheduled for 2:00pm.

Series History:
West Chester leads the overall series 51-27 and these two schools often play big games. The two schools have met twice in playoffs - 2008 and again in 2013 - with both postseason games played in Bloomsburg. The Huskies took the 2008 contest while the Golden Rams won in 2013 en route to the NCAA Division II semi-finals. Former Bloomsburg All-American linebacker Frank Sheptock is in his first season as head coach at his alma mater.

Last 10 Meetings:

Year	H/A	W/L	Score	Year	H/A	W/L	Score
2011	Home	Loss	55-42	2015	Home	Win	33-22
2012	Away	Loss	24-23	2016	Away	Win	27-7
2013	Home	Loss	31-28	2017	Home	Loss	20-19
2013	Away	Win	40-38	2018	Away	Win	17-14
2014	Away	Loss	41-10	2019	Home	Win	20-17

Last Meeting:

10/13/2019 West Chester 20 - Bloomsburg 17

As it usually is when West Chester and Bloomsburg play, it was a typical back-and-forth, close affair that didn't end until linebacker Jackson Taylor had a strip sack on the last play of the game. Running back Ja'Den McKenzie paced the offense with 89 yards rushing while Seth Degree (2 catches, 93 yards) and Dan Neuhaus (4 catches, 80 yards) each scored for the Golden Rams. Defensively, linebacker Cole Zapf led the way with nine tackles and a sack while Taylor and defensive tackle Joe DeSanto each notched six tackles.

Scouting the Opponent:

Four games into the season and the Huskies are still in search for a quarterback. Junior Logan Leiby (21 of 34, 233 yards, 1 int) started in 2019 and the first two games this season. Freshman Ben Ries (19 of 41, 306 yards, 2 TD's, 2 ints) started their past two games and had a game-winning 47-yard TD pass against Gannon as time expired. But freshman David LePoidevin (18 of 37, 226 yards, 2 TD's, 2 ints) has also seen action in their last three games. Tyshaun Pollard (19 catches, 233 yards) and freshman Malik Langley (5 catches, 183 yards, 1 TD) are the two receivers that have to be watched. What's unusual is that Bloomsburg doesn't have the running game that they have historically had. Freshman Kaleb Monaco (35 carries, 180 yards) and graduate student Nyfease West (26 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD) are their top two ground gainers.

The Golden Rams will need to keep the ball away from defensive back Quentin Gaskill (38 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 int) who is also the Huskies leading tackler. Ron Long (20 tackles, 2 int) also has an eye for the ball. Defensive lineman AJ Simon (14 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss) spends time in the opponent's backfield and linebacker Adam Burkhart (32 tackles) is their second leading tackler.

Freshman punter Jaco Sattamini (34 yard average) has landed ten of his 29 punts inside the opponent 20-yard line and is the reigning PSAC East Special Teams Athlete of the Week. Bloomsburg has used three different kickers this season with freshman Torsten Hartmann (3 of 4 PAT's, 1 27-yard field goal) getting the most opportunities.

Analysis:

The Huskies are getting outscored by an average of 31-14 this year and their defense is allowing 440 yards/game which is second worst in the PSAC, including a league worst 208 yards on the ground. So expect the West Chester offensive line and running backs Ja'Den McKenzie and Phil Poquie to have big games.

Bloomsburg is really scuffling this season, but it may not matter. In 2019, West Chester would go on to qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs while Bloomsburg would finish under .500. But the outcome between these two teams wasn't decided until the final play of the game. The Huskies opened the season with four of their first five games on the road.

Massey Ratings shows a Golden Ram win by 14.

Game Coverage:

Live Stats   Audio   Video  

West Chester Athletic Site - West Chester Preps For Homecoming Weekend

PSAC Site - PSAC Football Notes, Week 5